First Two Challenges Filled Against New Immigration Law

Phoenix, AZ – The legislation requires police to check the immigration statusof those they contact and lets them charge illegal immigrantswith violating state law. Attorney and state Rep. Ben Mirandasaid one problem with the measure is that immigration is strictlythe purview of the federal government. The other is thepossibility of racial profiling by officers who are told to checkidentification when they have reasonable suspicion someone is inthis country illegally.

(Reasonable suspicion is a standard that lends itself to apersonal interpretation on the part of an officer on the scene.)

A separate lawsuit was filed by a Tucson police officer who saidthe law violates constitutional rights and could hinderinvestigation. And a third challenge is being planned by theMexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and othergroups who also say it will lead to racial profiling. Thatincludes Dolores Huerta who co-founded the United Farm WorkersUnion with Cesar Chavez. She said the lawsuit is just one step.

(This policy of hatred against Latinos and against immigrantscannot continue. We are going to be out there knocking onpeople's doors, educating them and asking them to participate, tocome and register to vote. And we will make sure we get peopleelected that are really going to stand up for the human rights ofeveryone.)